Two Republican legislators have introduced a bill that would outlaw mRNA vaccines in Idaho.
The COVID-19 vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer are both mRNA vaccines.
State Sen. Tammy Nichols and state Rep. Judy Boyle sponsored the bill, which was introduced in the House Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday by Nichols, according to KTVB-TV.
The text of House Bill 154 is sparse.
It says flatly that “a person may not provide or administer a vaccine developed using messenger ribonucleic acid technology for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state.”
The bill makes the administration of such vaccines a misdemeanor offense.
If approved, the law would take effect on July 1.
During her presentation to the committee, Nichols said the COVID vaccines had been “fast-tracked” and pointed to concerns about potential “blood clots and heart issues.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which maintains that the vaccines are safe, has said that there is “a small but increased risk of myocarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.” Myocarditis is an inflammation of the muscles of the heart. The CDC says its data shows 713 confirmed cases of myocarditis post-vaccination.
Nichols said there are “more and more concerns rising because of the mRNA vaccine,” according to KBOI-TV.
Democratic state Rep. Ilana Rubel pushed back, saying she “understood that the vaccine had undergone the FDA’s scrutiny and approval process after it had already been fast-tracked. Am I wrong on that?”
“There is concern with that too,” Nichols replied.
“I’m seeing conflicting reports in regards to that. … I’m finding that it may not have been done like we thought it should have been done or it normally would have been done for an approval process for an FDA-approved vaccine,” she said.
The vaccines were initially approved under what is known as an emergency use authorization.
